Antiquing: holding history in hand
This Oct. 19 photo shows a jukebox at West End Antiques in Clarksburg, W.Va. Antiques are physical pieces of history, and while interest and cost may change, antiquing (where an individual goes shopping specifically for vintage or antique items) continues to be popular in the region.
This Oct. 11 photo shows cosmetics at Main Street Antiques in Buckhannon, W.Va.
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. – Antiques are physical pieces of history, and while interest and cost may change, antiquing (where an individual goes shopping specifically for vintage or antique items) continues to be popular in North Central West Virginia.
Antique shopping has seen its ups and downs, with different styles and fads coming through, just as with any other market.
“Pocket watches were hot, (and) Crocs are the hot ticket right now,” said Maria Andrews of Main Street Antiques in Buckhannon. “There was a time where everybody was out digging for bottles. I mean, I have a friend in Oklahoma City and people are paying crazy for glass right now, but here it’s not as big.”
For many people, it’s less about general antiques and more about interest in one particular collection.
“It’s the hunt of it, looking for the one piece you can’t find,” Andrews said.
That’s how Roger Hardy, the owner of West End Antiques, first became interested in the trade.
“I started collecting coins in school, and the fellow that had the coin shop also dealt in furniture and antiques, and that’s how I got started,” Hardey said.
Hardy has been involved in antiques for 49 years and warns people interested in buying to be aware of what they’re buying.
“People will have new stuff mixed in with the old, and the average person doesn’t know the difference,” Hardy said. “People try to collect today – they don’t really know what stuff is, and they get burned by buying new stuff. If they get burned enough, they don’t want to collect anymore.”
One major trend that Hardy has seen lately is that antiques no longer increase in value with age, but rather based on the current popular piece. Hardy believes that people now interested in antiques are usually focused on choice pieces, such as cigarette lighters or stone jars, rather than collecting sets or items.
This isn’t the case for Catherine Cann, who began antiquing as a sophomore at Fairmont State University and now collects old Polaroid cameras.
“I am not exactly sure what got me into them,” Cann said. “They are unique, and I like that.”
Cann enjoys antiques because she believes they offer a glimpse into the past. By purchasing antiques she likes or has found interesting, she has been able to learn about each object’s individual history.
“The history is so rich and so much more than what you learn in a history book,” Cann said. “My favorite find has to be this gorgeous antique opal ring. It is stamped DASON on the inside, so I researched and found out that it was actually a jewelry store in New York called Davidson & Sons that opened in the 1930s. That particular piece was made around 1932.”
Another reason antiquing has become popular: Television shows that indicate the worth of some of the objects, said Brian Stewart, who also runs Main Street Antiques.
“Everyone thinks they’re out to score. They turn every rock over,” Stewart said. “People like to barter. It’s a little nostalgia, too: ‘My grandmother had this’ – that kind of thing.”
Jill Mayle, a Taylor County native, began antiquing when she was young and continues to enjoy it now as a college student.
“It’s always just been really cool to me,” Mayle said. “For some people, it might just be junk, but for me, all this stuff had a story to it and it was significant at some point. It can even let you know about that time period. I just always thought that was really cool.”
For Mayle, it’s about finding something unique when she goes looking for antiques.
“For me, normal shopping, it’s more what you’re trying to fit in with now, and with vintage shopping, it’s looking for a story behind something,” Mayle said. “It’s not this is the most expensive thing or this is what’s trending now; with vintage or antiques, it’s more about treasure that I can find that maybe people have forgotten about.”
One way that antique stores continue to thrive is by diversifying their products, Stewart said. His shop has done that by expanding to have nostalgic items that may not necessarily be antiques, and by selling and buying gold, silver and coins.
Main Street Antiques has seen a wide variety of products in its time, with anything ranging from Civil War swords to electric medical instruments to large wooden chests.
“The craftsmanship of the furniture – it’s held up for 200 years. It’ll hold up for another 200 if you take care of it,” Stewart said. “It’s not pressboard.”
The quality of the items is one of the many things Cann enjoys about antiquing.
“The things that were made back then were crafted so well that they can be resold,” Cann said. “So many things they had were beautiful and unique. I love taking my friends antiquing for the first time.”
Mayle, who is 22 years old, believes a lot of people have misconceptions about antiques and who is shopping for them.
“I think that antiquing is relatable to any age, not just older people,” Mayle said. “You can find stuff that has a really unique, interesting story or a unique part of history. And if you connect with that on some level, you can bring in into your house, and then it can become a part of your history, too.”